What is an assessment?
Assessment of care and support needs
An assessment is a discussion with you and/or your advocate to help understand your situation and needs better. Together with a practitioner you will explore what help and support can be provided to reduce, delay and/or prevent your reliance on care and support now and in the future.
An assessment is used to:
- Explore what you are able to do for yourself, with support from your family, friends and community and what support from you may need from Adult Social Care
- Determine if you are eligible for support from Adult Social Care
- Determine if any equipment, adaptions or assistive technology could support you to live more independently or assist you with daily living.
Carers assessment
A carers assessment is a discussion with you that will help us to understand the impact your caring role has on you:
- Physically
- Emotionally
- Practically.
A carers assessment looks at what care and support you are willing and able to provide to another person. A social care practitioner will help you to explore a variety of ways that can help meet your needs.
To allow you to live the life you want and improve your wellbeing.
A carers assessment will look at how we can maximise your independence by using:
- Your strengths
- Your capabilities
- Opportunities available to you within your community
- Support networks.
Using the answers from your assessment we will work together to find the right tailored solutions to support you in continuing your caring role.
Self-assessment
A self-assessment provides an opportunity to look at your strengths and needs. A friend, relative or carer can also complete the self-assessment form on your behalf.
To request a self-assessment, contact the Access to Adult Social Care Team.Once we receive your self-assessment form ,you will be contacted by a social care practitioner who will discuss your care and support needs with you to determine if you are eligible for statutory social care support.
If you are eligible for support, the social care practitioner will work with you to develop a support plan. If you are not eligible for statutory services, we will provide information and advice on a range of community services available to support you.
Who will undertake my assessment?
One of the following teams will carry out your assessments depending on your needs and circumstances.
Access Visiting Team
The Access Visiting Team will carry out an assessment if you:
- Require an urgent assessment
- Need simple equipment or services quickly
- Are not currently receiving any services from Adult Social Care.
Neighbourhood Teams
One of the Neighbourhood Teams will carry out an assessment if you are already known to the service and receiving support. Both teams have professionals trained in social work.
Occupational Therapy Team
The Occupational Therapy team will work closely with you/your advocate, looking at different ways to do things, providing equipment or if you are eligible adaptations, to help you to maintain or increase your independence.
Home Adaptation for Independent Living Team
The Home Adaptations for Independent Living Team progress recommendations for building works to your home made by the Occupational Therapist to support you to live more safely and independently.
Integrated Discharge Hub
Support from Adult Social Care is available from the social work team based within the Integrated Discharge Hub for people recovering from a hospital stay who need temporary support to maintain their independence and quality of life.
The Hospital Social Work Team can assist you, on discharge from hospital. You will be provided with a short term package of care to support you on discharge.
A full assessment will be carried out within 4 weeks to determine if ongoing support is required.
If the outcome of the assessment indicates that you are not eligible to continue to receive statutory services, the practitioner will provide information and advice on how you can access community resources if further support is required.
Mental Health Access and Assessment Team
The Mental Health Access and Assessment Team will carry out an assessment of anyone who has mental health difficulties and appears to require care and support. The practitioners carrying out assessments will focus on your needs, how they impact on your wellbeing, the outcomes you want to achieve and whether you qualify for support services.
If the outcome of the assessment indicates that you are not eligible to receive support services, the practitioner will provide information and advice on how you can access community resources.
Learning Disability service
The service will support anyone with a learning disability to stay independent when they are not able to do so themselves. If you appear to have care and support needs, a practitioner will complete an assessment and will involve family, friends, carers and support professionals as and when required. If the assessment shows you are eligible for support services, we will develop a support plan with you which will focus on supporting you to keep safe in the community and live a healthy and independent life.
If you are not eligible to receive support from statutory services, the practitioner involved in the assessment will offer information and advice so that you can continue to live independently and maintain a good quality of life.
Financial assessment - paying for your care
Following on from your assessment of need, if you do require support, you may have to make a contribution towards the cost of your care. We will carry out a financial assessment to calculate any contribution you may have to make towards your services.
This is based on the following:
- Income
- Savings
- Assets.
Currently, carers are not financially assessed and are not required to pay a contribution towards services they receive from Adult Social Care.
